Maid says she has to care for 3 children, clean 4 bedrooms, 4 toilets and works from 5.30am to 11pm

SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic helper took to social media to share that she not only had to care for 3 young children, but she also had to wake up at 5.30 am and sometimes work until 11 pm.

In a Facebook support group for domestic helpers and employers alike, an anonymous participant asked: “Helpers who work with 3 or 4 kids or babies, how do you all cope?”

Most helpers who responded to the post shared their tiring work situations. One shared that she had to look after three kids – a 7-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 6-month-old baby. She added that she worked in a four-bedroom house that had four toilets. The maid wrote that while she did not have to cook food for the adults, she had to cook food for the kids.

She wrote that she had to wake up at 5.30 am and often sleep at 10 or 11 pm. The maid shared that while her employer was not too strict about cleaning as she knew her helper was handling her baby, she said she would still clean daily and finish her chores while the baby slept. The maid also said that she often finished ironing at night before sleeping.

Another helper shared that she had to also care for three children aged 3, 5 and 9. She worked in a 5-storey house and said she was coping well. When asked how she coped, the maid wrote: “time management, employers backing , We discuss about kids , how to handle them .,Employers are not fussy and allow me to manage my own time in doing house chores .,Its a give and take strategy as well”.

The helper also said that “The place is tall but not very big” as it was 4-storeys high and had a basement, which is why it was considered 5-storeys.